Reconnecters, if you agree that Rochester passengers deserve a respectable intercity bus station, please add your name to our petition! We’re gathering signatures to deliver to Governor Hochul as a last push for project funding to be included in this year’s New York State budget. Please sign by March 8 if you can (although the petition will remain open). Read on for background about the project and the reasons why we’re calling for this now.
What are we asking?
We are calling on New York State to include $15M in this year’s budget to build an intercity bus terminal as an expansion of the Louise M. Slaughter Intermodal Station.
What’s the current situation?
The current Rochester “bus terminal” is located in a small, rundown trailer across from the train station that was meant to be a temporary facility for intercity bus service. The facility, which is lacking in amenities and long overdue for replacement, is used only by Trailways. Other bus operators are dropping off and picking up people at various places around downtown Rochester, placing passengers in inconvenient and sometimes unsafe situations, with nowhere safe, warm or comfortable to wait.
Why is it important to make a public investment in intercity bus service?
We view this as a matter of transportation equity. As a more affordable means of travel, users of intercity bus service include lower income folks, as well as students attending area colleges and universities. Tens of millions of dollars are invested in roads and the ROC Airport, which serve the transportation needs of Greater Rochester’s more affluent residents who can afford a personal vehicle or a plane ticket. Passengers using intercity bus services, meanwhile, have been literally left out in the cold. This is a sad trend we’re seeing in cities across the country. Rochester can buck that trend by giving intercity bus travelers the equal public investment they deserve.
The value and vision for the new facility
We don’t want to simply slap on a bus terminal. This is an opportunity to achieve a bigger vision for a truly Intermodal Station that we can all be proud of – a place with top notch amenities that welcomes visitors and connects them to all our region has to offer, and a mobility hub that connects passengers to their next destination. The City of Rochester enlisted Bergmann/Colliers to illustrate this vision, and we’re excited to share the renderings they created for the expanded facility and surrounding area.
Why are we asking now?
Now is the time to get this done, and in fact it’s past time. Intercity bus passengers have been waiting since 2012 for a proper facility, and the situation for intercity bus passengers needs to be addressed now. Also, the City of Rochester is embarking on a massive Inner Loop North project near the Intermodal Station, and this project can dovetail with those plans.
What support is there for the project?
There is broad agreement and momentum for this project, including strong support from the City of Rochester, Monroe County, and our New York State Delegation in both the Senate and Assembly. We also have support from the business sector, major universities and nonprofits, as evidenced in a package of 16 letters of support we gathered. Most importantly: the bus companies themselves support this project and see a terminal as an opportunity to enhance the customer experience for their passengers.
Who is left to convince?
Our last push for support is directed to Governor Hochul, who has not yet included the project in her State budget.
How can you help? Sign our petition today!
Click the button below or fill out the petition directly in the Google Form! Make sure to spread the word and share the link with your friends.
We need to keep up the pressure through the end of budget season in April. We’ll deliver the first round of petition signatures at an upcoming press conference on March 8th as further evidence of public support for this project.
If you have more time, take two additional actions:
- Contact Governor Hochul’s Office to express your support for the Intermodal Station expansion: 518-474-8390
- Write Governor Hochul to urge the funding of the Intermodal Station be included in the 2024-25 NYS budget.
- Use the webform or email Correspondence.Office@exec.ny.gov
- Type in your name and address
- Topic: Transportation
- Subject: The Greater Rochester Region Deserves a World-Class Inter-City Bus Station
- Message:
We are asking New York State to fund $15 million this year to expand the Rochester Louise M. Slaughter Intermodal Station with an inter-city bus terminal, amenities for passengers, and connections to the region’s other mobility options. We need a truly intermodal station today!
Intercity bus passengers have lived too long with a temporary trailer as a station and buses dropping them off at random locations across downtown Rochester!
Want more opportunities to help advocate for better mobility in Rochester? Sign up for our Mobility Action Alerts email list!